Guild Wars 2

But if you pop Protect Me (pet takes all damage) and SoS (pet takes no damage) wouldn’t that be the ultimate? Now neither of you take damage.

I chose the Vigil. As a Ranger, I like the idea of marching to the head of battle with a strategy. I’m ferocious and mustn’t tip-toe around the problem. Superior firepower gets the job done.

There will probably be new higher caps with later expansions. They didn’t do it in GW1 because a 20cap didn’t really allow for it. But with an 80cap more akin to other MMOs I’m sure we’ll see 100 eventually.

But really, it doesn’t matter. It’s arbitrary. It gives you a goal, it gives the developers a place to stop (for now). They designed the trait system and figured how many points they wanted to give us. It’s not really about the number. It could just as well been 65.

Fav: Sylvari (look great & love the mystical curious stories)
Least Fav: Charr (want to play one for the story but they look awful!)
Most Annoying: Krait (stop spawning on me! I hate underwater fighting.)

Not to mention that by the time you get out of your starter zone, you should be able to do hearts and kill mobs a few levels above you. I have 2 characters (guardian & ranger) that are 30+ and they can both drop mobs a few levels higher. Zones are also fairly expansive so between your storyline quests, the hearts, the DEs, and gathering…you shouldn’t have any trouble with an area being linear. I like that if you don’t talk to Scouts you don’t really know where to go next because there is no “next” there’s just “go adventure!” If you find yourself facing mobs 10 levels above you, then you most likely skipped everything on the other side of the map worth doing to get there. Your complaint almost sounds like “I wanna see Orr now, make everything level 1.” It’s called progression. It’s not linear, but you do have to earn it.

I like my personal story. I got to save a mythical creature, take on the dastardly Nightmare Court, choose my own plans of attack, join the mighty Vigil, thwart a demon….and I’m only 43.

Each time I create a new character, I make sure to pick different story options so I can have a new experience each time.

The slot at the top-right of my bank is for stacking these chests. They’re worthless to me, because I’m not going to spend real money for keys just to get mostly-useless stuff. I think I’ve unlocked a total of 4-5 fromkeys I’ve gotten as storyline or map completion rewards. Nothing great. And they’re selling for what, 3c on the TP? Clearly everyone thinks they’re just as worthless as I do. So I’ll stockpile them until another key drops for me or Anet changes the nature of the chests.

For me, absolutely! A singkitten investment and I have countless hours of enjoyment, both solo & with my friends. No monthly fee?? Thank you.

Daniel.2743:

No, and the reason I say that is not to be controversial, I genuinely don’t believe it’s worth the money. I have played for 272 hours. Which is good compared to single-player games or standalone retail RPG’s. But for an MMORPG I started out thinking I would play this game for years to come, only to be disappointed I expected a whole lot more.

Did you enjoy those 272 hours? Because even if you’re done right now, you got 272hrs of enjoyment from $60. Try finding anywhere to get that but from a quality video game.

Xenos.1072:

I think the difference between the banner to spirit thing is that banners cant be up 24/7 where as a spirit will always be there, unless killed. I still think they blow, but that was likely the thinking behind it.

There’s always a comparison being made between warrior banners & ranger spirits. And i think, altho the professions are quite different, the comparison is a valid one. While banners can’t be up 24/7, they can be picked up & moved. This mobility function is pretty awesome, not to mention a few new skills (that i’m not familiar with) when holding the banner. I don’t know if enemy PvPers can pick up the banner or destroy it, but I don’t see PvE mobs doing it. What do u mean “can’t be up 24/7”? They have a duration just like spirits. Do you mean that the duration of spirits is the same as their CD? Cuz if so, the CD doesn’t start until the spirit dies, due to the 2ndary function of spirits (which have a delay and small radius, especially for something so immobile).

MokahTGS.7850:

takatsu.9416:

XD does stripping naked help ward off pursuers? LOL and im from EB too :P

Yes, as does greasing down with all the butter we seem to be finding in drops now. Seriously…butter should provide an extra dodge.

^this is true. and cinammon should give extra protection from tigers.

Fire Trap + Whirling Defense = fantastic aoe condition & damage

@Aries: if a little red bar is below your skill when targetting something, it means it’s out of range. When the red bar disappears, fire away.

@HoneyBee: YES! we need this. Especially because we have a lot of skills/traits that add boons to pets.

I’ve been playing with 1h Sword as my offset since the beginning, and I love it. lately, due to SB/LB-itis, i’ve been running full melee sets and playing around with all the offhands and here’s how I feel:

I hate Dagger. Everyone does.
Horn is really great for an opener, bird cotw swap
Torch #4 is a lot like horn #4 (dot) but the #5 skill is great in a group (leap out, back in for aura)
Axe offhand is my newest love. I rarely use the #4 unless it’s to drop a fleeing foe, but the real magic is #5. Drop a field (torch, trap, etc) and go to town.

All of these work great with the 1h sword. And warhorn is easily the best fight-opener offhand.

I find Ranger to be great at sustained damage, with occasional bursts by popping CDs. Bows keep us at range which keeps us constantly piling on the conditions and shots without being blinded or interupted as much as melee. Pop some CDs like CotW, QZ, and some pet shouts/signets and we can pile on some serious damage bursts for 4-6 seconds.

@synk: Spiteful Spirit rocked. In GW2 if you can learn to stack Retaliation & Confusion you’ll basically have SS again.

@Mmamousha: What about Mesmer makes you love it? Knowing this would help us make a recommendation.

Not to make your decision any harder, but I’d recommend also trying Guardian. They’re incredible fun and can self heal & create boons like no other.

My main is a Ranger and I love it. Pet makes it easier as well as gives you a lot of variety with all the animals to choose from out there.

Give your Engineer a bit more time. They really don’t come into their own until you have a nice selection of kits and elixirs in your utility list. Having only 2.5 weapon sets, you can tell they’re pretty dependent on those utilities.

Take your characters to the Heart of the Mists too. It’s the PvP staging area and it auto levels you to 80, unlocking all skills. This will give you a little taste of what each profession brings as you progress.

I’d recommend a Guardian or Ranger too. You get combo finishers for the numerous ones your ele friend is going to drop. Ranger has an extra meat shield to help your buddy stay alive. Guardian is very supportive with a lot of boons, blocks & heals, keeping the 2 of you alive & buffed longer.

Thanks bri. Unfortunately, wiki only shows what the game does: a tiny little box of color. But we all know that some colors appear a bit differently on armor than in that little box. Some are extra bright, some are shiny, some are really gaudy. So what I’d like to know (from someone with a whole lotta dye) is..

Is there a dye that is a cheaper alternative to the expensive black, white, silver? Is there a midnight something that’s darn close to black? or a frosting color that’s quite bright white-ish.

Since you’re obviously quite knowledgable about dyes….

What are cheap alternatives to Black, White, & Silver dye that I could buy from the TP? As it is, those are pretty coveted and expensive. Is there a “frosting” or something that is pretty close and still awesome looking?

That being said, having that exotic gear isn’t a must to be competetive in dungeons. In other MMOs your output was feeble compared to what those in top tier gear could do. In GW2 it’s less a deal breaker, but it will make you better.

Your names are sexually suggestive and therefor not appropriate for younger players to read. C’mon….you really want to tell me that ‘Filthytaco’ is about some Mexican food you dropped on the ground? If it wasn’t a player whose kid also plays that reported you, it was probably an Anet moderator. You think they’re not watching?

I’m only lvl 43 atm but so far the only place I get bad lag is that tiny little cave in western Queensdale where the bandits are (lvl 5ish). No idea why. Has nothing to do with population either.

As more money floods the populus, the prices will go up. But you’re right. All you have to do is buy it once & you can dye every piece. In GW1 black dye was always expensive and not everyone had it. It was a luxury item. Now it’s an investment. But I’m ok with it. I love the dye system. My Ranger is like a diva of the woods: a new look every day.

lackofcheese.5617:

I bought every single dye a few days ago, so I’m done with dyes now.

Until a patch and they release another 30 mwuahahaha!

I’d like it if Anet didn’t make everything a micro-transaction in the Gem Store. Ok, a full overhaul of your character, sure. But changing the hairstyle and color should be a quick in&out for no more than 1s. Either way, this is a must for any game that gives us so much freedom during the initial character creation as well as the great dye system.

Anyone else? I don’t need the expensive Abyss or White….just every single 55c dye I can find. I buy 2 here, 10 there. I have a dozen shades of light blue. Why? Because I can. And you know what? I look fantastic.

Great Patch Anet. Some people are annoyed there’s no fix yet for <insert item here>. Right now it’s fixing bugs, exploits, and maintaining a positive, fun game environment. Don’t worry everyone, those fixs will come.

Hmm…an interesting idea to add random world PvP to the game. I like that it’s not a permanent liscence too. And because of the downscaling, you don’t have to be afraid of a trolling 80 in lvl 40 zones trying to grief other would-be PvPers.

City Events!! Yes, and not just stupid things like daily cooking quests, if you get my reference. Make the cities a cool place to hang out, not just a stopping point for daily XP. Fun, non-combat DEs would be just the thing. Maybe quests that involve the important NPCs of the city in a progressive way: ie – helping Queen Jennah prepare for a feast at the end of the month in Divinity’s Reach. Or cleaing the city & helping various krewes prep for a science expo in Rata Sum. End of month would culminate in something neat in the cities, perhaps just in your home instance if you participated.

Pet.2598:

You can always dodge forward and turn around

Aw, I was gonna say that.

Either way, I saw an Anet post (sorry, don’t remember where) that expressly said there will never be race changes thru the gem store. Sorry to burst your bubble. Makes me a little sad too, but I can see why.

James.2064:

I prefer GW1’s ranger class as well, but also the necromancer class. For some reason I can’t stand what they’ve done to the necromancer class, the only reason I pick it is because of the numbers I can get using the class in most RPG games.. having my own small army of undead. I mean I can get up to 3 minions but they’re so weak and so unresponsive/bad that it just sucks IMO.

Maybe my opinion on the ranger will change after playing it more though.

Same here. Loved my GW1 necro. HATE what they’ve done to the class now. That class-mechanic?…awful

I love my Ranger. However, I’m 43 and the shortbow (while awesome) has gotten boring. I’ve taken to running alternate weapon sets for the variety. Btw, sword/axe with some traps and my warthog is awesome!!

I have all of the pets (personal victory for me last night) and I gotta say, not the biggest fan of the Devourers. People speak of their tankiness but they’re ranged so that seems weird. Plus, some of their attacks have a long, high arc which can cause it to miss mobile targets, thereby negating its dominance over melee pets. And they look horrible. I’ll stick to my cats & pigs.

swap to horn, CotW, Healing Spring, daze, pet howl boons…in a large group become support when Retaliation is hounding you.

At first, I lamented over the lack of combo fields available to Rangers. But after some research I’ve found that, with only a little ingenuity, you can create quite a few combo fields. The main downside is that they’re all right on top of you. I’d love to have something with range to pair with my bows, esp LB.

OP is right on. Make them mobile right from the get-go. Reduce the aoe damage to them. Or just make them like banners…un-destroyable. Their secondary ability is actually pretty awesome…if it weren’t for the animation delay…and the abysmal range. The idea behind our spirits is great. And I’d totally run a 3-spirit build. If they were at all viable.

Graevarg.4871:

I’d be happy if the PBS pushback was not stopped by terrain “fall-off” edges. Sailing somebody off a cliff is soooooo compelling.

Agreed. If our 1h sword can knock ourselves off a cliff, our LB should be able to knock others off.

I’m at work so I can’t login to check, but I’m 40 and just got the sickest looking med coat. I’ll prob transmute any future chest pieces to this for a while. Lucky, cuz it was just a 40c upgrade i nabbed off the TP (no preview mode boo) but it turned out to look really sweet. I should push my LW if the recipes look cool. LOVE the transmute ability in this game.

Having a pet doesn’t have to be completely about that pet. If you don’t like your faithful companion, just think of him like another utility skill for yourself. Choose the pet based on its F2 skill and just spec your traits based around yourself, not your pet. Use the pet swap button to change up your F2 “utility” mid-battle. And that damage your pet does?…just more “condition” damage.

But honestly, what’s the down side of having a companion that can kite, draw threat, CC, add boons, combo fields, conditions, and deal straight dmg? You’d prefer what? a a party regen virtue or a steal ability (wait…our pets can do all those)?

Honestly, I very rarely use that heal skill to heal my pet. If your pet is getting low on health, swap pets. It gives you a pet w/ a full health bar and (if traited, which you should be) 2sec of quickness. And, if I understand correctly, if you swap pets while they’re alive it’s a 20sec CD. If you wait till they’re dead, it’s a full 60sec CD. 20 sec between full pet heals > partial heal with #6 skill on longer CD.

Any level. I just tamed a juvenile pet probably 12 levels above me. Just be careful to stay on roads and not engage anything around. You will get 2-shotted (i did).

If we get some preparations like in GW1 I will be so happy. Spirits need some GW1-style love too.

Pets are much better in GW2. While in GW1 you could fill your skillbar with pet skills, that left what you could personally do to next to nothing. Now, every pet has 4 skills by default (swapping pets being equivelant to adjusting your pet skills in GW1) and you still have 3 slots to fill with shouts if u want.

I think if you’re going to add a cripple to LB it would have to be done with #3 or #4 skills. #3: reduce the vulnerability stacks from 10->5 and add a 1-2s cripple. Or #4 add a cripple with the knockback. Keep in mind, Barrage deals an aoe cripple, so I highly doubt this would happen.

Personally, I would rather see #4 skill change to an aoe combo-field initiator. It would add flair (as Vecuu wants) and give it more functionality other than just hitting a guy hard from a long way away. Throw in a poison field and you’ve got hard hits & reduced healing. Or a smoke field (heavy arrow hits ground hard, kicks up dust) that would let you deal blind and protect your melee buddies.

skstylez.1526:

wait, so the idea of guard is the PET goes invisible and gives himself protection? well at least it does more than I thought

Yes, but he guards an area so he should draw aggro off you & tank it.

I just think they need to be made untargetable. I like the idea of spirits, I don’t want auras like i’m a paladin or something. We just need our spirits to follow us or have a lower CD and not be so killable.

I find the pets the best part about being a Ranger. There’s such a variety of looks and skills. Some do look a little dopey (blue moa?), but most are pretty awesome looking imo. Fern hound, wolf, shark, giant spiders…they’re all pretty sweet. I think if we could tame giant snowy griffons and minotaurs and some of the more impressive animals in the game, non-Rangers would cry or reroll immediately.

Well guys I got my wolf and it’s a beautiful animal. I zoned into EB at the 12 o’clock portal, stripped naked, whippped out my horn and booked it along the north-eastern ridge. Saw a couple PvP battles off to my right, whispered an apology for not helping an ally, blew my horn (that’ll help him right?), and took off. As soon as I got my faithful friend, I ported back to gates and whisked myself back to PvE-land.

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

We’re all hoping they fix the self-CC from it’s autoattack. If you take #1 off auto, you will avoid the self-root. That aside, Sword is a lot of fun. I pait it with Torch and a porcine pet for some nice aoe damage and fire auras. Plus the evasion is great. Just be aware of your surroundings…don’t evade off of a cliff. I still haven’t yet but I’ve heard horror stories.

Shortbow is a pretty straightforward weapon for Rangers. Try other combos like Sword/Torch or Greatsword. Experiment with pet/weapon combinations too. Some synergize well with various builds. And like Sci said, variety comes into play more with traits.